Rams hope to use balance to get past IUP

Staff Photos by Tom Kelly IV
WCU's Carl Johnson (11) goes up for a layup and is fouled by Shippensburg's Joe Lococo (11) during the Shippensburg at West Chester University men's basketball game, Wednesday night.

Trying to pinpoint a couple of West Chester basketball standouts for all-conference accolades isn’t easy because head coach Damien Blair’s squad is so deep and balanced. Senior Jon Breeden and sophomore Corey Blake wound up on the All-PSAC East first and second teams, respectively, but a strong argument could also be made for fellow guards Carl Johnson and Troy Hockaday.

All four players average between 10.0 and 11.7 points per contest this season, which not only creates a dilemma when dishing out postseason honors, but is also a big challenge for opposing defenses. The Golden Rams will be making their ninth overall appearance in the PSAC Final Four this evening (7:30 p.m.) against host No. 13 Indiana (Pa.), and the top-seeded Crimson Hawks must slow down WCU’s deep and athletic backcourt if they want to deny West Chester a second consecutive spot in the championship game.

“To give ourselves a chance, we need to have all of our guards playing well at both ends of the court,” Blair said.

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A year ago, thanks to a combined 40 points from their backcourt players, the Rams upset IUP in the PSAC semis at Hollinger Field House, 54-51, but then fell to East Stroudsburg in the final a day later. The Hawks, however, earned a measure of revenge with a lopsided 71-52 regular season victory at Hollinger in early December.

“I think last season’s tournament experience will help us,” Blair pointed out. “Plus, we’ve been in a lot of big games since then. The East Stroudsburg game on the road was big, and so was the game at Cheyney. Our guys know how to perform in big games.

“This one against IUP is no different. We have an added incentive because they came (to West Chester) and actually blew us off our home court. Hopefully that will give our guys more motivation to play harder.”

In the clash three months ago, Johnson was still recovering from off-season hernia surgery and Hockaday had not yet developed into the get-to-the-rim-at-all-costs open-court threat he is now. The pair combined to score just six points against IUP on 3-9 shooting.

But in West Chester’s efficient 73-62 quarterfinal triumph over Millersville on Tuesday, Hockaday poured in a career-high 24 points and Johnson was the defensive star, limiting MU’s leading scorer Larry Grant to nine points (3-12 shooting) and zero assists.

“I think if we keep playing hard and together, we will win the whole thing,” Hockaday said.

Junior guards like Shannon Givens and Jaleel Mack have also had impressive stretches this season off the bench. Givens has scored at least 10 points in 10 of his last 19 outings, and Mack had a stretch of double-digit scoring in 10 of 13, but then tailed off at the end of the season after coming down with the flu.

But according to Blair, Johnson has been WCU’s most unsung player.

“Last year, if it wasn’t for Carl, we wouldn’t have gotten to the championship game,” Blair acknowledged. “I thought he was slighted in the all-conference picks.

“This year, he’s been hurt (and missed five games) but if it wasn’t for Carl, we probably would have lost the (Millersville) game. He did an excellent job on (Larry) Grant, denying him and frustrating him in the second half.

“Without question, Carl is one of the best guards in this league and he doesn’t get the credit he deserves. Without him I don’t think we are a 20-7 team.”

The 6-foot senior from Ardmore – along with his backcourt mates -- will have their hands full today trying to contain Indiana guard Mathis Keita, a 6-5 transfer from powerhouse Gonzaga. He leads IUP (22-5) in scoring, rebounding and minutes played, and was recently named first-team Al-PSAC West.

To earn the PSAC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament, the Rams must beat the Hawks and then the East Stroudsburg-Slippery Rock winner in Saturday’s final. And even though West Chester is still in the mix for an at-large berth, it probably has to win today to have a shot.

In the latest NCAA Atlantic Region rankings, WCU is ninth but only the top eight will ultimately advance. That means that the Rams still have work to do – and a win over No. 4 IUP would provide a big boost.

NOTE: Tickets for the PSAC semifinals at the Kovalchick Convocation and Athletics Complex are $14 for adults, with a two-day pass for $10. Students from member PSAC institutions will be admitted free with a valid school ID. Fans can order tickets by phone at 1-800-298-4200, or online at www.kovalchickcomplex.com.